In 2008 he ran in the Italian general election on a platform favoring a moratorium on abortion, as a "devout atheist" and part of a theoconservative Italian political current of which he's one of the most prominent leaders. He also has expressed admiration for Pope Benedict XVI. These views might seem surprising, as he is an atheist and, during his Communist period, by his own acknowledgment three of his partners had abortions.[1]

In 2003, Antonio Tabucchi, an Italian writer, write an article about bad facts about Giuliano Ferrara for the french newspaper Le Monde, but the article was never published because Giuliano Ferrara interfered with them publishing it on its own newspaper Il Foglio. He then said that he was happy to have reached the goal to get that article before Le Monde newspaper. He was condamned for unauthorized publishing and for copyright infrangement.[2]